As is well known in the art, electrolytic recording is accomplished by passing a modulated electric current through an electrochemical recording medium comprising a support impregnated with an electrolyte, a chelating or sequestering compound, and a marking compound. Such recording medium is well known in the facsimile art.
The recording medium is known to comprise a support impregnated with an electrolyte solution. The support is usually paper, but may be of any porous material that is capable of passing an electric current subequent to impregnation with the electrolyte solution. The electrolyte solution is typically an aqueous solution of an electrolyte such as an alkali or alkaline earth metal salt, a chelating agent such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), a marking compound such as an organic acid or a polyhydroxy compound and various other additives such as stabilizers, antioxidants, and the like as is well known in the art.
Using the aforesaid recording medium, recording or marking is accomplished by passing metal ions into the medium in a selective pattern, the metal ions being released from an eroding anode by passage of a current therethrough. The ions migrate into the recording medium forming colored marks with the marking compound. Stray ions form colorless chelates with the chelating agent to prevent background ciscoloration. Electrolytic recording and media therefor of the type described above are disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,409,516, and 3,354,058, both incorporated herein by reference.
Though the art of electrolytic recording has been known for some time, difficulties are still encountered in such recording, particularly when recording using relatively high speed recording equipment. One such difficulty involves the color, tone and definition of the recorded mark, these characteristics being degraded when recording takes place at high speeds.